


Koja

by LaughingThalia



Series: Coda [2]
Category: The Orville (TV)
Genre: Bad Parenting, Brainwashing, Dubious Ethics, Episode: s01e06 Krill, Ethical Dilemmas, Ethics, F/M, Fictional Religion & Theology, Kidnapping, Krill, Outer Space, Religion, Religious Conflict, Undercover, zealot - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2017-10-15
Packaged: 2019-01-17 22:41:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12375657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaughingThalia/pseuds/LaughingThalia
Summary: --“They're kids, they're not my enemy.”----“After what they saw you do, they will be.”--...-Ed Mercer killed his whole crew and now the Union was kidnapping his entire class.----"Watch Out Ed Mercer."---





	Koja

**Author's Note:**

> His name is Koja, right?

When Koja and the other kids stepped outside the safety of their classroom they were shocked. There was the crew burnt and fried whilst the two humans looked no worse for wear. Koja felt sick, he had spent time with them, spoken to them, he had let the orange one touch him. He couldn't believe he had wanted to know more about this putrid soulless race of humans.

The Union had ushered them onto their own ship where the scum human known as Ed Mercer had been lauded as a hero. His teacher, Teleya, glared at him with disgust. Koja couldn't help but join her.

His classmates stared up at the red, blue and green clad humans (and other species) rushed around them, some giving them odd looks, some simply ignoring them. A woman dressed the same as Mercer came down to greet them “Ed, I'm so glad you're safe.”

“I said I'd be careful didn't I?” He smiled at her. Koja wanted to puke. How could he kill his whole ship and then smile like nothing had happened?

“Rana III was saved because of you. You did good.” She praised him, placing a hand on his arm.

“We saved Rana III but it went against the mission. It was supposed to be a peace mission, surveillance only. Get the book and get out.”

“They would have killed thousands of men, woman and children on Rana III, what else could you have done?”

“That's what I thought too. And honestly there is nothing I could do differently except let them blow up an entire planet as a test, but you should have seen the way those kids looked at me. I was the villain their parents told them about when they misbehave.”

“They've been brainwashed by their parents, by their teachers, their religion. You say they're Service is a priest repeatedly stabbing a human head? It's not the kids fault. They'll realise you weren't in the wrong.”

“By that logic it's not the grown up's fault either. They were raised in the same way.”

“Well maybe we can help them.” The woman said “I was speaking to the Admiral and he seems to think that if we send these kids to a Union education centre they'll realise that they can't just go around killing people.”

“I don't know, their conviction in their god is pretty strong.” Ed said, unsure.

“The Catholic Church used to rule the entire world, look at them now Ed. No religion is forever. No belief system so overbearing that they can't learn right from wrong.”

Ed seemed to have been comforted by the woman's speech because he smiled again “You're right. They'll be okay.”

“The real question is what's going to happen to their teacher.”

“Teleya? She'll get a fair trial, I guess.”

“But what's the crime? What's the punishment? We know she's guilty because all the Krill have blood on their hands.”

“You know they think we're murderers. Her brother was on the ship we had to destroy to save Rana III.”

“Ed, it was either thousands of defenceless people minding their own business or a destructive couple dozen actively seeking a fight. It's sad we had to kill them but they would have killed us _without hesitation_.”

Koja frowned. What that woman was saying was preposterous. The Krill were allowed to fly around, killing and stealing because _everything_ belonged to them, it was their divine right as Krill, Avis had declared it. These humans seemed to think that a few thousand humans were more important than even one Krill life.

The Union had killed the crew, kidnapped him and now they planned to warp his brain to their sick ideology? He would never allow that. “You're a murderer!” He yelled as he flung his entire body weight into Captain Ed Mercer. He barely moved an inch.

“Koja.” He said sadly, looking down at him.

“Don't say my name!” He screamed “You're not allowed to say my name!”

“Koja, you have to understand. No species is better than another.”

“The Krill are above all else!” Koja started pummelling the blue-clad man with his fists but they were caught and held in place easily.

“Koja, look. I'm really sorry. I'm sorry I killed your crew and I'm sorry you can't go home right now but your people have wrought so much death and destruction throughout the universe we can't allow it to continue.”

“It is our Divine Right! As Avis declares is! You will unhand me! My teacher will not allow you to take us and brainwash us.”

“Koja, no one's going to brainwash you. You have to see that other species don't deserve to be killed, they're just like you. We have souls, we talk, we reason, we hurt and are hurt, we love, we live. Just like you.”

Koja stopped hitting him and stared up at him with his big round eyes. By Avis, this human was so steadfast in his beliefs it was scary. “You really believe that?” He asked quietly.

“I do.”

“Everyone on the ship believes that?”

“Everyone in the entire Planetary Union.” Ed smiled at him, it was small, Koja could tell it was supposed to be comforting. It just made him feel sick.

Koja took a step back, away from the Captain of this death-ship. “You're taking us all to a Union planet?”

“We are.”

“I can't go back home?”

“Not right now. Maybe after some time but no... not right now.”

“But Teleya- she wouldn't allow you to.”

“She's under arrest. She has no say in what happens to you and your friends.”

Koja's head dropped.

“Hey, she'll be okay. She'll hate me forever but she'll remain unharmed.”

Koja just nodded as he returned to where the rest of his class had huddled together in fright. He scowled at the floor, tears threatening to overflow his eyes. He wasn't going home.

He looked up at Ed Mercer and swore to Avis he would remember that name. He would remember it, bide his time, integrate into Union society and when the moment came he would worm his way back into Ed Mercer's heart and run it through with a dagger. He clenched his fists and hissed under his breath “Watch out Ed Mercer.”

**Author's Note:**

> His name is Koja, right?  
> And what's the teachers name again?


End file.
